This is How We Die in Jersey
by Yesm777
Summary: Danny is abducted by a mysterious character, leaving Five-0 scrambling for clues and answers. Danny whump, not a slash.
1. Red Light, Green Light

_**Disclaimer: I don't own any original aspect of Hawaii Five-0.**_

_Author's Note: Okay...so this is my very first fanfiction for Hawaii Five-0. Of course, I'm a little nervous about it! I hope you enjoy this story, but we'll see what kind of feedback I get for chapter one. Let me know what you think, yeah?_

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><p><strong>1. Red Light, Green Light<strong>

"Hey, I'm gonna go; I've gotta go pick up Grace." Danny explained as he leaned into Steve's office. Steve stopped writing a report, his face twisting into one of confusion. He squinted as he looked up, staring at Danny like he didn't know what to make of him.

"Huh?"

"I said I'm gonna go pick up Grace. What, you deaf or somethin'?" Danny scoffed, immediately offended. Steve was unbothered by the obvious storm forming in his partner's head and put on a calm expression.

"No, you mumble. Maybe you should stop mumbling." he suggested, the vision of innocence lining his guise. It was probably killing Danny to see him so composed. Steve could already hear some story about apologizing when you tell someone they mumble. Then Danny would probably rant about it for another three centuries.

"Mumble? You think I mumble? Well, let me speak more clearly for you: I'm. Going. To. Pick. Up. Grace." Danny enunciated, pronouncing each vowel and consonant exactly. Steve tried his best not to smirk, but he couldn't help the small pull on the corner of his lips.

"Thank you. I appreciate it."

He peacefully went back to his work, a little surprised that the argument had died so quickly. Steve should've known better. He should've recognized there'd be more when his partner wandered further into his office with his arms ready for illustrating his point.

"At least I speak English and not some super SEAL secret code!" Danny continued. Steve paused for a moment, then dropped his pen and sat back in his chair to ride the rest of this dispute out. "Then people who aren't deaf—unlike you—know what I'm sayin'!" Now, this was just ridiculous. Steve didn't talk in some super SEAL code and he certainly wasn't deaf. He had passed all health exams with flying colors and his hearing was in no way impaired.

"I'm not deaf! You mumble!" Steve defended, now feeling victimized by Danny's verbal cruelty.

"Nobody ever had a problem with it before!" Danny countered, as if it was legitimate evidence of Steve's inability to hear. "_You're_ the only person that has a problem with it."

Steve took a moment to compose himself, breathing deeply as he contemplated his next plan of action. Danny was a little touchy on a normal basis. Once they were in a fight like this, Danny was beyond sensitive. He'd even yelled at Steve for calling him sensitive.

"Probably because they knew how you'd react." he sighed, hoping Danny wasn't going to start into some new speech. Danny narrowed his eyes and pointed a firm finger at Steve.

"I do not mumble."

There was a short pause as Steve shook his head and returned to the paperwork one last time.

"Right, keep telling yourself that." he replied, prepared to ignore any and all complaints the blonde detective still had. Danny huffed and put his hands on his hips.

"I don't want to talk about it anymore." he growled. Steve glanced up at his partner, getting slightly irritated with him. After all, he was the one to start the argument in the first place. Now, he suddenly didn't want to talk about anymore? Not that Steve was going to complain.

"Good." he said in a low voice. Danny slowly turned away and walked out of the door.

"See you later." he grumbled.

"What was that?"

"See. You. Later!" Danny called back, another word monster threatening to burst from his vocal chords. It'd have to wait; he couldn't be late to pick up Grace.

He stomped down the hallway, already planning out his next argument for when the opportunity arose. Steve will regret the day he said the word 'mumble' or any synonym thereof.

Danny sighed as he got in the elevator. He definitely needed to calm down before he got to Grace's school; the private institution already irritated him. Every brick and stone of the building was evidence of Step Stan's existence, even more so than this awful island.

The blonde detective walked out of the elevator and made his way out of the palace, pushing the thoughts of Stan out of his mind. He stepped out of the palace, immediately squinting against the Hawaiian sun. Curse the brightness of this lump of sand. Hawaii just wasn't his place.

One foot dropped onto the asphalt of the parking lot, his half-blinded vision locked on his Camero. He hadn't taken two steps when he heard the squeal of tires to his right. _Somebody _was in a hurry.

A hurry in his direction.

Before he realized what was happening, an immense force barreled into his side and he was suddenly rolling onto the hood of a car. He could feel the windshield break under his weight, but his mind was jumbled and unorganized, unable to register what was going on. Before he could slide off the hood, the driver reversed abruptly, throwing him back to the asphalt with a skid.

_I just got hit by a car._

His brain suddenly understood the situation and his nerve endings finally kicked in. Pain exploded across his body.

The part of him that collided with the car felt like one giant bruise being constantly poked and pressed and he _had _to have broken ribs on impact. He knew his forearm was broken as an ache shivered through the limb. His head was pounding as blood pumped against a tender spot on his skull, and some areas felt like they had been assaulted with slight road rash. He was too stunned to move, hoping this was just a nightmare. No, he couldn't be that lucky.

Through the heartbeats echoing in his ears, Danny could vaguely hear a car door opening as his mind automatically the possibility of a threat. It was probably from spending too much time with Steve; but help had never seemed so unlikely in that moment. Something in his gut was screaming at him to run.

Even as the black fingers of unconsciousness crept into his vision.

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><p>Steve didn't know what it was about Danny and their fights. If any other man had struck up an argument with Steve, he would have him in a chokehold. It must've been Danny's rejection of being intimidated. Nothing seemed to faze him; he was going to say what he wanted to say. Steve should've recognized that from day one. He tried to teach Danny a lesson with a twist of an arm, but the stubborn detective only responded with a right hook to Steve's face. Danny wasn't the type to be pushed into submission. That was probably why Steve felt like he could tease the blonde man; they seemed to be standing on the same level. One couldn't intimidate the other and vice versa.<p>

Kono and Chin had already left to grab some lunch for the office. He hoped they would be back soon so he could put off writing this report for a little longer. Danny had always insisted that they go by the book, but couldn't they just cut out the paperwork?

His thoughts were interrupted by a screech of tires outside, a scowl plaguing his face from the irritating noise. Maybe Danny was running a little late. There was a yelp and another screech of tires, alerting the Navy man to a different situation. He bolted from his chair and took long strides to the window.

The sight sparked a rare fear in him.

Danny was sprawled on the asphalt, uncommonly still. It took Steve a few seconds to realize his partner was hit by a car. It took a few more to recognize that the driver was heading towards Danny with a hostile posture.

"Damn it." he growled and ran from the office towards the stairs. He flew down the steps as fast as he could, clearing the last several with a jump. He sprinted with everything he had, making it outside just as the car zoomed away.

"No, no, no!" he shouted, still desperately chasing after the vehicle. He only stopped when it finally swerved into a busy street and picked up speed. Steve pressed a stressed hand against his forehead, trying to catch his breath. Danny was gone.

He couldn't imagine how this could even be. Steve hadn't known about any recent threats against his partner, and he assumed that Danny would've been more cautious if there had been. Hopefully it wasn't somebody with a vendetta against Steve, since there was so many. But he couldn't think of any specific person. There was no time to waste; every minute that ticked by was a minute they lost in finding Danny.

He reached a shaky hand into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. After pressing a few buttons, he pressed the device to his ear, rubbing at his forehead with a furrowed brow.

"_Hey, boss." _Chin answered. _"What's going on?"_

"We've got a new case." Steve huffed, his tone serious.

"_Alright, what's the case?"_

Steve paused while he struggled against the final answer.

"Danny."

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><p><em>Author's Note: Yes, it's a tad short, but I just wanted to introduce the story for feedback. What do you guys think? Should I write more? Please review!<em>


	2. Like a Ton of Bricks

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Hawaii Five-0.**_

_Author's Note: Finally, another chapter! I hope it's an entertaining read. :) Thanks for everyone who reviewed and put this story on story alert! I was blown away by how many was crammed into my inbox! Such things just make me smile and thanks for taking the time to read my story. Please review and let me know what you think. :)_

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><p><strong>2. Like a Ton of Bricks<strong>

Steve was frustrated. More than frustrated: worried, terrified, hateful. He was swirling with negative emotions, uncertain if he wanted to punch a wall, or fall limply into a chair.

Chin and Kono hadn't come back yet, and all Steve's initial efforts were beginning to look fruitless. Even in the flurry of the moment, he had caught the license plate number and immediately spread the word around HPD to look for the offending vehicle. It wouldn't be hard to spot the white junk car with a cracked windshield, but he wasn't going to make any assumptions. He'd hoped there'd be a reply to his BOLO in the first ten minutes, envisioning the damaged vehicle skidding across the roadway in a hurry. But, unfortunately, there were no responses. Yet.

He stared at the glass top of the tech table, snapping his gaze upward as the quick tap of footsteps pattered against his ears.

"Boss!" Kono exclaimed, practically jogging into the main room. Chin walked swiftly behind her, his expression grim and serious. He was probably running the worst scenarios through his mind, unable to suffocate the awful experiences of his career. Kono was still attempting to ignore the terrors associated with her job. She wanted to believe that Danny was perfectly fine, despite her cousin's grave countenance. Still, she was afraid. She was terrified that the situation was as bad as Chin implied.

"Boss, what happened?" she demanded breathlessly, leaning on the tech table with wide, frightened eyes. Steve looked at her with a dark expression, wishing he could keep her away from such an awful situation. He knew she could handle it; Kono was tougher than anybody suspected. But that didn't mean it wouldn't affect her. Steve sighed heavily as he prepared for a short explanation. Chin must've kept the juiciest details from the rookie.

"From what I could tell, someone hit Danny with a car and then took him. I already sent out a BOLO, but nobody's answered it yet." Steve replied flatly. He tried not to look at Kono, attempting to look busy while he messed with the tech table. But after a long stretch of silence, his eyes betrayed him. He glanced up at her for only a moment, yet he could easily see her shock and worry.

"Wait, what?" Kono said, trying to mull over the cut and dried facts in her mind. "Somebody hit Danny with a car…? A _car_?" Steve couldn't imagine what she was feeling. It just wasn't Danny's place on the team to get hit by a car. Despite how much Steve could get annoyed with him from time to time, Danny wasn't the type to have vengeful enemies. That was Steve's area of expertise. Besides that, it was unusual for Danny to even be involved in such dangerous situations _outside_ of work. It was difficult to think of Danny getting a _paper cut_ outside of Five-0, let alone being target practice for a car.

"Look, we have to realize this isn't the safest job on the island. We target major criminals and deal with more violent action than most other officers." Steve pointed out. "I think the question isn't really why this happened to Danny, but more of _when_ this would happen." Kono nodded her head stiffly while Chin continued looking grim.

"We'll find him." Steve muttered, returning to his investigation.

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><p><em>Drip. Drip. Drip<em>.

Danny groaned as the mysterious liquid poked continuously at his face. His mind was muddled and his body felt like it had been compressed and dragged over gravel. Pain was everywhere: spiking through his head, jabbing at his ribs, cutting through his legs and worming its way through every other muscle of his anatomy. He wanted to curl up into a ball and stay still all in the same instant, although he was rather certain staying still would be the better option.

Where the _hell_ was he?

He squinted his eyes, attempting to focus his blurred vision and investigate the dimmed world around him. He was a detective after all: he could figure everything out…maybe. He looked to be in a small, closet-like space, crammed between four brick walls, though one wall looked newer than the rest and was still in the process of being finished. He could see the half-done row of bricks a couple feet above his head, trying to understand why it was like that. It didn't make sense: why was he in a brick box and who felt like randomly building a brick wall and abandoning it? Whoever it was had a crappy work ethic. But, if they had finished the wall, he wouldn't have a way to escape. There were no windows and the other, older walls looked quite sturdy. The only light he had to see his surroundings was from the opening left by a lazy brick mason. Danny looked down at himself, trying to squint through the darkened space to see what his injuries were. It was more difficult than he thought it would be. Steve could probably do it. That guy probably had a portable pair of night vision goggles or something.

"Oh, good, you're awake."

Danny slowly turned his eyes upward, trying to avoid the pain in his neck as much as possible. The lazy brick mason must've come back, because there was a man staring at him from the top of the unfinished wall. The mysterious man had his head resting on top of his folded arms, smiling down to Danny with a suspicious aura. Danny knew he should be bothered more by this development. Something told him that all of these strange occurrences were part of one, big, terrible situation. But his brain wasn't working quite as well, trying to move his thoughts through the barrier of confusion and an awful headache.

"Who are you?" Danny's own voice surprised him, hearing an unrecognizable croak from his own throat. It wasn't that strong voice he remembered.

"You don't recognize me? I'm hurt." the man replied mockingly. "Perhaps it's darker in there than I thought." Danny squinted, trying to summon any memories that pertained to a creepy guy and brick walls. He had to admit that the man seemed familiar and he vaguely wondered if he should be flashing through faces of irritable neighbors, or mug shots. Through all the men he'd put away and all those neighbors that he just happened to get on the nerves of, how was he supposed to remember a single person? It was basically impossible, unless they were civil, which almost never happened with the people around Danny. And even then, who in their right mind would-

Wait.

"Davis Hewley." Danny mumbled as he stared at the man with surprise, holding a hiss of pain behind his lips. He was one of those somewhat civil people in his lifetime.

"Aw, Detective! You _do _remember me! I'm so flattered." Davis laughed, his voice holding something sickening behind it.

"Mr. Hewley…" Danny growled and paused as he struggled to get a hold of a steady voice. "would you _kindly_ fill me in on what's going on here?" Danny was well aware that he was missing important segments of what had happened from when he was at the office to the present time. Besides that, he was rather certain that Davis Hewley was supposed to be in a New Jersey prison.

"Please, call me Dave, Danny." Davis corrected. "I mean, it hasn't been so long since we've last seen each other. Three years is hardly that long at all and there's no reason for us not to be on a first name basis." Danny was slowly gaining his regular composure and the irritation was quickly setting in.

"Okay, _Dave_. What the _hell_ is going on here?" he asked angrily. If he wasn't pulsing with so much pain, his arms would be following the choreography of his speech.

"Well, Danny, you took away my life. So, I've decided to take yours." Dave sighed happily, tilting his head playfully to the side and rest his cheek against his arms.

"What? What are you friggin' talkin' about, you _crazy_ lunatic." Danny's question came out as more of a command than a request.

"Lunatics have always been crazy, Danny. That's a known fact."

"Whatever, just tell what the hell is goin' on here!" Danny shouted, getting more and more frustrated with the nonchalance of this irritating man.

"I'm murdering you, Danny. I'm going to kill you." Dave drawled seriously, narrowing his eyes as his smile melted to a frown. Danny's mouth went dry as he contemplated Dave's answer.

"…What?"

It wasn't just the threat that made the horror settle into Danny's guts, it was because he knew it was coming true. Danny couldn't defend himself; he was injured and had realized the absence of his gun. He couldn't quite remember how he'd become so battered, but he was sure that Dave had everything to do with it. Dave had the upper hand and he was planning to kill Danny.

The worst of it was…

"I arrested you on car theft, Mr. Hewley, and you accepted the consequences of your behavior. How did I ruin your life? You were a good man, Mr. Hewley, and now you're going to kill me?"

…Danny never saw this coming.

"I said it's Dave!" Hewley shouted angrily, standing up straight. His furious expression immediately twisted into a smile, sending a shudder down Danny's spine. "I continued as was my wont, to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation."

Danny was sure he was in the hands of a madman.

"That's from Edgar Allen Poe's 'Cask of Amontillado.' Perhaps you've heard of it?" Dave asked calmly. Danny vaguely recalled the morbid tale, but continued to stare at his captor with a look between stubbornness and fear.

"It was only one time. I was having trouble keeping up with the bills and feeding my family, so I thought that maybe I could make a little cash on the side from stealing that old man's car. One time. _One time_, Danny, and you arrested me. I tried to feed my family and you arrested me." Dave related bitterly. "My wife left me while I was in prison and took the kids with her. Then I got out on good behavior, but nobody would hire me with a criminal record. You _ruined_ my life."

"I was only doing my job." Danny replied quietly.

"Yeah, I was only doing my job as a husband and a father." Dave snarled. His darkened eyes lingered on Danny for a moment and his smile returned. "I'm going to kill you, just like Montresor killed Fortunato in the 'Cask of Amontillado' tale." His face disappeared from the opening of the brick wall, leaving Danny to wonder what was going to become of the great Detective Williams. But, there wasn't much to wonder about; he was going to die.

He heard some scraping on the other side of the wall, trying to keep his thoughts from lingering on how he was going out of this world. All he could hope was that it would be quick.

Dave returned to the opening with a brick in his hand and a trowel in the other, smiling that awful smile. Danny felt sick as he watched Dave spread cement over the top of the wall and carefully place a brick.

Danny was being cemented into this hollow cube.

"I was going to kill your lovely ex wife and your daughter, like how you took away my family. But then…I decided I wanted the satisfaction of murdering you myself." Dave explained as if they were discussing the weather. "It's too bad that my method of choice doesn't let me watch you die, but I wanted you to suffer. Who knows how you'll actually die. Perhaps by starvation, but I'm thinking more along the lines of bleeding out. You're in terrible shape from when I hit you with a car."

A car…?

Danny groaned as the memory of his violent collision shot through his thoughts. He had blacked out when Dave grabbed him roughly off the asphalt and he could only assume that his captor had shoved him in the back of the vehicle or something like that.

_I wonder if Steve saw it_. Danny thought. Steve…he was probably going crazy looking for Danny. Danny smirked at the thought of Steve hanging Dave off a building, demanding where his partner was.

"That partner of yours chased after me for a good block, but he wasn't nearly as fast as I was driving. It was still a close call; I mean, you're pretty heavy. Trying to haul you from that crap car to the van was a work out." Dave explained, continuing in his work as if it was the best job in the world. Danny groaned in his head, realizing that Steve would probably send out a BOLO for the first car. His partner couldn't know that Dave had a second vehicle for his escape plan.

The brick wall was getting higher and higher as Dave worked, the panic oddly fluctuating in Danny's chest as he watched. Maybe it was alright that he was going to die; Grace and Rachel were safe after all. But, then Grace would grow up without her _real _father. She would grow up knowing that her father was _murdered_ and she may never know why. She'd be in the same situation as Steve; searching for the truth in any spare moment. He didn't want that for her. She'd told him she wanted to be a detective like him once, but he didn't want her to follow his steps. He didn't want her to see what people did to each other. To see _how_ people destroyed each other's lives. Sure, as a doctor she wouldn't be completely shielded from the violence of life, but she wouldn't have to see all the ugly workings beneath the surface. She'd be saving lives, not condemning men like Davis Hewley to a life of anger and revenge.

Besides, if Danny died now, who would walk her down the aisle on her wedding day? Step Stan? No, that would completely inappropriate. He should've changed his will to leave Steve that important duty for Grace. He would feel much more at peace to have the partner he trusted walking his precious daughter to the love of her life. Not that lowlife Stan. Other than that, there'd be so many other things he'd miss: teaching her how to drive; her first boyfriend; her high school graduation; watching her go to college; hugging her at every important moment of her life; dancing with her at her wedding reception; becoming a grandpa. There was so much he was leaving behind. So many things he wouldn't be there for. All because he arrested a man for stealing a car. All because he did his job as a member of the police force.

_No, Grace. Don't be a detective. Don't do that to your children._ He pleaded silently as Dave was finishing up the wall, putting the last two bricks in their place.

"Goodbye, Detective Williams. It was a pleasure hitting you with a car." Dave laughed, sending a shiver up Danny's body and igniting pain all along his nerves.

The remaining bit of light choked on the last brick and everything went pitch black.

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><p><em>Author's Note: Oh dear. Poor Danny. : Reviews, please? :)_


	3. By a Hair's Breath

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Hawaii Five-0 or anything pertaining to it. Just the creepy maniac in this story. :)**_

_Author's Note: Another chapter...Finally back in Hawaii, going back to school... Oki doki. Hope you enjoy this one. Please review, I really do love a kind word and it just makes me want to write more. :)_

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><p><strong>3. By a Hair's Breath<strong>

"HPD found the car." Chin reported. Steve looked up from his desk, taking in Chin's expression. Judging from the look on Chin's face, the news didn't seem half as good as he had hoped it would be.

"Did they find anything?" he asked, but he already suspected what the answer would be.

"Not…really." Chin sighed. He looked like he was already losing hope on Danny's case. "The car is registered to an Albert Fitzgerald, who passed away last year at age ninety-six. There aren't any finger prints and not a single clue to where the perp took Danny."

"Any security cameras in the area?" Steve inquired, a heavy weight settling in his stomach. He had never thought of it, but…what if Danny was never found? What would he tell Rachel? What would he tell _Grace_? He couldn't tell the little girl that her Danno was gone. He would hardly be able to admit that to himself. For a man so animated, it was impossible to imagine Danny lifeless. It was _painful_ to imagine him that way.

"None. This guy must've known he was in a blind spot. So far, no witnesses have come forward either." Chin explained. Steve took a deep breath. Usually they would find _something_ to lead them to the next step of the case and now that it was Danny's life on the line, there was a horrendous lack of evidence. Steve couldn't give up that easily, but it was hard to proceed when the only possible suspect is dead. He could also understand why Danny had strapped a man to the hood of his car while they investigated the murder of Danny's ex-partner.

"But, I told them not to touch anything until we had inspected the scene ourselves." Chin added, giving Steve a lopsided smile of encouragement. Of course, they didn't have to settle just on what HPD saw. Perhaps they just needed some fresh eyes on the scene. Steve smiled at this small bit of hope.

Maybe it wasn't as dire of a situation as he thought.

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><p>Danny hadn't moved for what seemed like hours. He couldn't tell how much time had passed, but he was too absorbed in his own horror to really care. After the last brick had scraped into place, Danny allowed himself a moment of shock, staying completely silent for a minute or two. He was trapped. And nobody but Dave knew he was there.<p>

He had gone numb, terrified by this solid prospect of death. The physical pain was completely ignored while the realization took over his whole body. Dead. Like, dead-as-a-doornail dead. He wondered if his body would ever find a proper burial. If anyone would find his body at all. How long would it take for them to find his lifeless body? Even Super SEAL McGarrett could have trouble tracking his partner down. Danny wouldn't blame him; _Danny_ didn't even know where he was. All he knew was that it was dark, a little more than just damp, and tighter than his miniscule apartment. It was like being in a wet coffin. With the way things were going, it _was_ a wet coffin.

What bugged him the most was that he didn't see this coming. He saw death by insane partner, death by stressed out divorcee father, and death by just living in that pineapple-invested hell-hole…but he didn't see this coming at all. He couldn't foresee some guy he'd arrested for car theft to actually come to Hawaii to _murder _him. Danny liked to think of himself as a decent guy. There was only two people he could see as his murderers, which—honestly—was more than most people could boast. But only Step Stan would be the one to plot Danny's death in his monster of a living room. Steve would commit the murder of Danny Williams purely by accident. As much as he hated to say it, he missed that horrifying partner of his. Steve was arrogant, rash, and sometimes incredibly unintelligent. But he was alright when it counted and he was Danny's best friend on the whole island. He didn't know how or when that had come to be, but Steve McGarrett was his best friend.

That all didn't really matter now. Soon, nothing would matter. As far as the world was concerned, Danny Williams would never be seen again.

He took a deep breath as the realization settled in his chest cavity. The feeling was oddly soft, but not necessarily cozy. That was probably around the same time that he finally grasped the concept of pain…all over.

The shock of his situation wore off and his nerves kicked in, the familiar presence of pain kicking and screaming throughout his body. He gasped at the sudden feeling, a sharp pain poking into his abdomen. He wanted to yelp in response, but did his best to resist, knowing that it would only make the feeling sharper. His head felt like a thousand tiny men were hammering the inside of his skull with sledge hammers, pounding with pain. All the pain was back and it almost felt worse than he had remembered it. Maybe he would die just by the shape he was in. He might actually prefer that over suffocation or whatever else awaited him. Starvation certainly wasn't welcome. No man should have to die hungry. That would be the cruelest punishment of all.

Come to think of it, if Danny wasn't feeling so nauseas, he would kill for some malasadas. His mom's lasagna wouldn't be so bad either…better yet, he'd have both. A dying man should be able to have whatever the hell he pleases. If Steve was dying and he wanted that crappy Hawaiian pizza, Danny wouldn't hesitate to give it to him…at least after a well-executed argument. The man had to know that pineapple was the ruin of the entire realm of pizza.

Danny took a deep, slow breath, careful not to cause unnecessary pain. All these thoughts were fine and dandy…but he couldn't chase away the dark shadow of death in his mind. Death wasn't something he could belittle. Especially when he was staring at its intimidating figure.

For so many years he accepted the image of Death as a grim reaper: somewhat tangible and easy to imagine. But Death wasn't as easy to identify as a torn, black cloak around a skeleton with a frightening scythe. Death was worse than that. It was a cold feeling, settling into a man's chest at the realization that Death was going to take over. It was all the thoughts that fluttered together in a final, desperate act to ponder all the things a man had always known, but never confronted. It was that moment when a man saw the life he lived and realized that it was hardly enough; that he needed more than those memories. It was that frantic feeling that a man felt when he pondered all the people he was leaving behind and all the things he never got to do for them. Death was a punisher for all the things a man didn't do that should have.

Danny actually feared Death in this form.

In his new job, he faced Death every day. At least, he thought he did. While Death had been the kind of friend he never wanted to hang out with, Danny had never feared its visit. He supposed that when his time had come, then his time had come. But when he actually stared that dark shadow in the face, he could see all the things he should've feared when he was grazed by a bullet, or attacked by a violent suspect.

Danny could feel Death's freezing hand reaching out for him.

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><p>Steve inspected the vehicle with the most determination in his life. And for Steve, that was saying a lot. Nothing was going to escape his sight. Not a single bit.<p>

Chin had cleared the scene of HPD at Steve's order, allowing Steve the privilege of sweeping through the area by himself. Officers leaned against their vehicles, taking a break, or stood at the crime scene tape, watching McGarrett comb through what they already looked at. If this was any other case, they would've been irritated by Five-0 barging in…again. But it was the abduction of one of Five-0's own. One of HPD's own. There wasn't time to have an argument over who could keep the case. Danny Williams had to be found.

Steve scoured the car with such diligence, he was nearly going cross-eyed. He stared at the interior, hoping for a miracle. Danny couldn't just leave him like that; Steve didn't want to take the responsibility of fending off Danny's family issues. But, with all seriousness, Steve couldn't afford to lose another precious person in his life.

Steve never had a brother, but if he did, he would want him to be just like Danny. Sure, they started out on bad terms and it took awhile to warm up to each other. Still, Steve couldn't respect a man more than he respected Danny. Danny had guts, loyalty and bravery all rolled into one, big heart. After Steve managed to look past the distracting flinging of arms and Danny's incessant need to prove his arguments, Steve grew to love Detective Williams like that brother he never had. Danny was selfless when it really mattered and Steve knew that his partner cared about him more than any teammate he had before. If Steve was missing, Danny would've done everything he could to find Steve. He probably would've even found a way to trade places with him.

Steve wished he could trade places with Danny.

He didn't want to imagine Grace at her father's funeral. Just the passing thought felt like his heart was dunked into a bucket of ice water. She was too young for all this, but she was old enough to understand the situation completely. Kids weren't stupid. By the time he was her age, he could figure out some things just by watching adults. The adults had always assumed he wouldn't understand, but he knew, just like Grace would know. Grace needed Danno.

Steve inspected the driver's seat sluggishly, opting for careful and slow over sloppy and fast. In the end, it could make all the difference. His eyes stared at the top of the seat with such intensity as if he could light it on fire just by looking at it hard enough. Of course, that would destroy evidence…evidence he just found.

"Chin!" he shouted, not moving from his spot to avoid losing the one hair that caught his eye. It was short and thin, weaved into the seat fabric and nearly hidden away. It was frightening how focused he was on the small stub of brunette, but he wasn't willing to take any chances.

"Yeah, boss?" Chin replied, walking up behind him and ducking his head down to take a look inside.

"I found something." Steve breathed, pulling out some trusty tweezers from his pocket. After Danny had showed him how handy tweezers could be in an investigation, Steve always kept a pair on him. He had always made sure that he was prepared for everything. Five-0 was no exception.

He carefully extracted the hair from the fabric as Chin hastily prepared a small bag and held it under the tweezers tight grip. Steve stuck the tweezers in the bag before releasing the hair and Chin promptly sealed the bag and gripped it with both hands. It could've been a step towards Danny's location and they were not about to lose it.

"What did you find?" Kono asked, stepping behind the two men. The both turned and looked at her as Chin held up the bag with a look of triumph.

"Evidence."

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><p>Danny was beginning to feel weak. He blamed it on the fact that he hadn't moved for the past several hours, but he knew in the back of his mind that he was probably bleeding internally. It would clearly explain the pain in his abdomen and maybe even the churning nausea that was starting to threaten his esophagus. He didn't want the last taste in his mouth to be the aftermath of upchucking. If he ended up turning into a ghost, he didn't want to be stuck with that taste tattooed to his tongue forever.<p>

But the struggle was becoming increasingly more difficult. The sick feeling grew in his stomach, nearly ready to hatch. He attempted to swallow the inevitable approach of the stuff, but was hardly delayed.

Before he knew it, he was spluttering and coughing, attempting to clear the vile liquid from his burning throat. The taste was an odd mix of acid and copper, coating his tongue angrily. Danny knew that whatever had come from his mouth wasn't his breakfast. Something worse. Blood was coming out of him. Blood was going where it shouldn't be.

Death was coming closer, trying to pull him away from his body. He didn't want to go. He didn't want to leave when there was so much to do; so much to _be_. He was still learning how to be a father. He was still learning how to be Steve McGarrett's partner. There was so much learning to do.

"It's not fair." he whispered, holding back gasps from the pain in his abdomen. "It's just not fair…what did I do wrong?" Danny blinked back the burning in his eyes, attempting to keep back the moisture that threatened to squeeze through.

He felt unconsciousness pull at him, tugging his eyelids down. Danny tried to fight it, attempting to hold onto life a little longer. To hold onto that loyalty he had for his friends and his family. Once he closed his eyes, it could all be gone. His brother, Matt, would be gone. Steve would be gone. _Grace_ would be gone. He would be cut off from everything he loved. His eyelids couldn't fight anymore, sliding closed with a terrifying ease.

Danny didn't want to die.

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><p><em>Author's Note: And there it is...another chapter! Please review, so that I can have the encouragement for the next chapter!<em>


	4. And We All Fall Down

**_Disclaimer: I don't own anything originally related to Hawaii Five-0._**

****_Author's Note: Hm...progress is...progressing in this chapter. We're getting close. So close I can taste it. Not much of Danny in this chapter; the team is working to find the good detective. Thanks for reading and reviewing thus far, everybody. I really do enjoy all the feedback and support! :) Happy reading!_

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><p><strong>4. And We All Fall Down<strong>

It was painful. It was painful for Steve to have to wait any longer. But the results from the DNA test could only come so fast. The lab techs were doing the best they could, but it still made Steve nervous. He needed Danny to come home safe. He couldn't care about anything else at the moment.

"Boss, test results are back." Kono announced as she shoved the door into Steve's office. He snapped his head up, eager for her to finish. "The hair came from a man named Davis Hewley." Steve stood and walked past her, snatching the paper in her hands to examine it himself. She followed behind him, unfazed by his silent bossy behavior. "Chin is looking him up right now."

The two came to the tech table and Steve looked at the screen on the wall, eyeing the information carefully. This had better be good. He couldn't take much more of this stress.

"What've you got, Chin?" he inquired seriously, his jaw clenching and unclenching in the suspense of the situation. Chin typed quickly, doing his best to up his speed.

"Hewley doesn't have much of a record. But the one thing that stands out is that he was charged for car theft in Jersey." Chin brought the record to the screen, highlighting the arrest. "And the arresting officer on the case was…" He paused for a moment as he and the team stared at the screen, waiting for Chin to finish. "Danny." Kono and Steve seemed to take a deep breath at the same time, trying to calm their nerves. A revenge case. They were always so gruesome. At least it was some sort of lead.

"Can you get Danny's report on the arrest?" Steve huffed, partially relieved and slightly worried by the new information.

"Sure can." Chin mumbled, hastily getting to work.

"Anything else you can tell me about Hewley?"

"Not really. I hardly had time to look before you came in."

Steve sighed and rubbed his face with both hands. This case was wearing him down and it hadn't even been twenty-four hours. If it had been, Danny would probably be dead by now. Hell, if it really was a revenge case, Danny could be dead _now_. No, he couldn't think like that. Danny wouldn't go out that easy. He'd first have to complain and argue with his captor, arms flying. Danny Williams wouldn't just let a man kill him without him saying something about it. Steve smirked a little. It was a stupid thought, but it brought a sense of hope to Steve's mind.

"Danny's report reads that Hewley was arrested without any problems. If anything, Hewley went _willingly_." Chin explained, typing away as he searched further. "Although, Mrs. Hewley filed for a divorce while he was in prison. Looks like she took custody of the kids too. Hewley was just released last month for good behavior." More typing. "He bought a ticket to Hawaii two weeks ago and checked out a room in a hotel in Honolulu on the same credit card."

"He didn't even pay with cash?" Kono asked, leaning on the table. "It's like he's not even try to hide."

Steve stared at the photo of Hewley with a frown. The man had reddish brown hair and an oval face. He looked to be balding slightly, but his smile was carefree…innocent. He looked like a normal dad from suburbia. It was a wonder how people could change. It was almost heartbreaking how easily people could change.

But that didn't matter at this point. Danny was all that mattered.

"Alright, let's go get him." Steve ordered, immediately heading out.

* * *

><p>Steve knocked on the door with a heavy sigh. He wished he could just kick down the door and get this all over with, but he was expected to act somewhat cordially. After all, Hewley hadn't been proven as a violent suspect. Uniforms waited just down the hall for Five-0's command, but still kept their distance at Steve's request.<p>

"Five-0, open up!" he yelled with a near growl. There was silence on the other side.

"No thanks!" called a voice, muffled by the door.

"If you don't open up, I will be forced to break down this door!" Steve replied, huffing and clenching his jaw.

"Well, don't throw a hissy fit! It's unlocked!" the voice responded with slight laughter. Steve couldn't take that. This wasn't something to giggle about.

He turned the knob carefully, his gun held in front of him. He had no idea what was on the other side of the door, but the man's voice seemed nonthreatening enough. He gave the door a small push, letting it glide open as he entered. Kono and Chin followed behind, their brows furrowed in seriousness.

"How adorable! I didn't know Five-0 was such a tightly knit team!" Hewley said cheerfully, smiling broadly. He was sitting on the bed, leaning back as his arms propped him up. "So…you're here about Danny." Steve didn't reply, he simply scowled angrily.

"Why didn't you even bother hiding?" Kono asked, her gun trained on him diligently.

"Oh, honey. I ain't got nothing to lose." Hewley laughed. "No wife, no kids, no house, no job. So, what's the point? Besides, I kind of wanted to meet the famous Five-0 team."

"What did you do with him?" Chin muttered, just as diligent with his firearm as Kono. For a moment, everything was silent. Hewley just smiled, looking each of them in the eye. They didn't move, determined to get whatever information they needed.

Out of nowhere, Hewley just started laughing, beginning with a chuckle until it grew to a hearty laugh. Chills ran up the team's spines as they said nothing, only aiming their weapons at the strange man. Their guts weaved into an uncomfortable twist, fearing the worst. This just couldn't be happening. Not to Danny.

"Phew, the look on his face when I told him I was going to kill him! Priceless!" Hewley chuckled.

"What have you done to him?" Steve growled, his finger tightening on the trigger. He had to resist the urge to pull; he had to know what happened to Danny.

"Look, I'll give you a hint." Hewley sighed, still grinning. He made a move towards the table, stopping as the team plunged closer.

"Relax! Just grabbin' a pen a paper…" Hewley laughed, picking up the two items casually. "I'll give you the address and a clue." He scribbled on the paper, smirking to himself. After he finished, he held the paper out to Steve, who snatched it away quickly to read it. It was an address. Steve looked up at Hewley with suspicious eyes.

"What's the clue?" he asked cautiously, stuffing the address into his pocket for safe keeping. Hewley grinned mischeviously.

"I forced the last stone into its position; I plastered it up. Against the new masonry I reerected the old rampart of bones. For half a century no mortal has disturbed them."

Steve practically bore his gaze into Hewley's, a silent challenge transferring between them.

"Chin," Steve sighed. "get some of the guys from HPD in here. They can handle this weirdo while we go look for Danny."

Chin nodded and ran out to the hallway to grab some uniforms as Kono continued to aim her gun at Hewley. Steve pulled the address from his pocket to study it, Hewley's clue jumbling around in his head. Nothing stood out to him; nothing made sense.

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><p>It took a half an hour to get to the address and it ended up being in the middle of nowhere. The house on the lot was a dilapidated, old thing that was mostly made out of brick. It was falling apart, looking more like a ruin than a house, but it was rather large. The ruin stood at two stories with, probably, a basement. It was practically inviting crime to live in its walls.<p>

"Looks like Hewley's clue comes from an old story by Edgar Allen Poe." Chin explained. He had been attempting to look up the information for the whole ride, but it took awhile before the team could remember the exact phrase…or anything close to it. "It's called 'Cask of Amontillado'. It's a story of a murder. A man traps somebody behind a brick wall because he was offended." Chin spoke urgently, the words tumbling out of his mouth as the team got out of the SUV. Even then, Steve was pulling out his firearm and walking quickly towards the house.

"You think Hewley bricked Danny in somewhere?" he asked, his heart squeezing painfully at the thought. Just to think that Danny was stuck in some dark little box…it made Steve sick. Danny didn't deserve to die like that. He was a free sort of guy, open to speak his mind; open to care; open everything. To trap his personality in such a little space…that wasn't right.

Steve didn't wait for anyone to answer him; he was already running into the house, frantically searching around him in the twilight of the evening. Water dripped through the ceilings, gathered from a rainstorm in the area and dampening the house. Steve blinked away the drops that dripped over his eyes, urgently searching the soggy, old building

"Danny!" he yelled, jogging from one room to the next.

"We need to look for new walls!" Chin called, trying his best to keep up with his boss. Steve wasn't going to slow down. Not until he found his partner.

"Danny!" he shouted, the hysteria nearly breaking through. He was so close…so close and he didn't know what to do next.

"Damn it, Danny! Answer me!"

It was too quiet. He was hoping Danny would just mosey out of a room, whining, "what? What do you want, McBossy?" But there was no Danny. There was no whining. He was trying to look for new walls, but the place was just too damn large.

"Hey! Hey! I found the wall!"

Steve looked around frantically, trying to find Kono's muffled voice.

"In the basement." Chin supplied, huffing in a doorway. Steve shot off towards the stairs before Chin even knew what was going on. Before he even hit the bottom step, Steve had his flashlight out, scanning the dimly lit room for Kono.

"Over here!" she called. Steve jogged in her direction, the light of the flashlight fully illuminating the clean, red bricks. Steve pressed his ear to the brick, straining his hearing to search out Danny.

"Danny!" he shouted, hoping his voice would get through the brick. There wasn't a sound. Not a single sound.

"Find something to break down this wall." Steve huffed, searching every little crack of concrete to find a weak spot. Chin and Kono rummaged through piles of old tools and furniture, searching diligently for something to throw against the brick wall.

"Will a hammer work?" Kono asked, holding up the tool. Steve thought about it quickly, finding no time to really ponder these things.

"Yeah, it might work better." he replied, pulling his trusty knife from his pocket. Kono ran over and handed Steve the hammer, almost bouncing in place without anything to help with.

"Kono, let's try and find another hammer." Chin suggested as Steve plunged his knife into the concrete, wriggling it angrily. It would be better to move the wall brick by brick so it wouldn't injure Danny, but it wasn't exactly the quickest way.

He violently moved the knife back and forth, eager to break a piece of the wall away. Steve managed to loosen the brick, knocking it into the brick cage by hitting it with a hammer. He let out a quick sigh and quickly got to breaking the wall down piece by piece. He instead knocked the bricks outward by sticking his arm into the wall and hitting the hammer on the other side of the wall. It was excruciatingly slow to Steve. He just wanted it to be over with.

Kono managed to find another hammer in the pile of tools and she and Chin began to replicate Steve's process. Chin Used a flat piece of metal to loosen the concrete as Kono pounded the other side of the wall. The wall was slowly crumbling away, finally making a gaping hole in the lower half of the wall.

Steve wiped the sweat from his face as he shined his flashlight within.

"No…No, no, no…"

Kono and Chin moved behind Steve to get a better look.

"I'll call an ambulance." Kono said urgently, running back up the basement steps for better reception. Chin didn't say a word.

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><p><em>Author's Note: I know, I know...that was super cruel of me. But I thought it was a nice stopping point for the chapter. :P So close, everybody...So. Close. Please review! Let me know what you think.<em>


	5. For the Love of Grace

_**Disclaimer: As usual, I don't own Hawaii Five-0.**_

_Author's Note: Sorry this took so long. I had trouble writing this last chapter. I didn't know where to go and how to finish, but I sat down and fought through it to finish this chapter. I hope it's a great ending! Sorry for the delay and thanks for the patience. :)_

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><p><strong>5. For the Love of Grace<strong>

"Danny." Steve said sharply, fear pulsing through his chest. Whoever was behind that wall, it just couldn't be Danny.

But it was.

Steve crept halfway through the hole in the wall, trying to get a better look at the pale, ghostly body in the brick enclosure. Frankly, Danny looked dead. He was completely still with colorless skin and dark smudges under his eyes. He was littered with bruises and blood, exhibiting all the signs of someone violently hit by a car.

"Danny?" Steve whispered, getting more afraid as his fingers inched closer to his partner's neck. What if he was dead? No, no, he couldn't think like that. But what if he was dead? What would he do? He couldn't tell Grace Danny was gone. How the hell could he explain that to a little girl? It wasn't like it was a great aunt who had "gone on a trip." This was her _father_. How could explain that to her? It had to be right. She had to understand—she had to grow up with the knowledge that her father was a protector. She had to know that Danny died because he was trying to protect all sorts of people, including little girls like her. Is that what he would tell her?

His fingers were getting closer to Danny's neck, hovering over the pale skin. Steve was scared to move them closer. He didn't want to know. He didn't want to know that Danny was gone.

"Boss…" Chin urged quietly. Steve continued to stare at his partner, still reluctant to press his fingers against Danny's neck.

"McGarrett…" Chin mumbled. He stared at his leader for a moment, pursing his lips together anxiously. "Steve! Check for a pulse!"

Steve jumped in surprise, immediately obeying his subordinate. He flinched as his fingers touched skin.

It was warm.

It wasn't as warm as it should've been, but it wasn't cold. A soft pulse pumped beneath his fingers, slow and faint.

"He's alive." Steve huffed, taking a deep breath. He carefully maneuvered his arms beneath Danny, preparing to pull his partner out of the damp, little space.

"Careful, boss. He could have internal bleeding." Chin mumbled, watching with a cautious eye. Steve allowed a small nod as he slowly pulled his partner from behind the wall. Chin quickly moved to help as they carried Danny between them to the flatter floor.

"Hey, paramedics are fifteen minutes out!" Kono announced as she quickly came down the stairs. She jogged up to Chin and Steve, breathing heavily. "That was about two minutes ago. How is he?"

"Alive." Steve sighed, checking Danny over a little more thoroughly. There wasn't much he could do if his partner was bleeding internally. It was killing Steve. Of all the things that Danny's "Super SEAL" couldn't do, it had to be this. Right now, it was the only thing Steve wanted to do. He sat cross-legged next to his partner, rubbing his hands over his face tiredly.

"Ten more minutes, Danno." he mumbled.

* * *

><p>Grace was just staring at him. Those big, brown eyes hadn't moved for the past minute or so. He didn't know what to say to her; he had no clue what she expected of him. Was he supposed to say he was sorry? Was he supposed to give her a smile? He just couldn't understand it. She was just staring. It intimidated him. Of course, she never had that look that her mother held; the look that incited fear in the strongest of men. Grace was gazing at him with large, innocent eyes. He had no idea what she was thinking about. He was pretty sure he knew her well enough to be able to react appropriately to her facial expressions, but this was the one that he couldn't understand.<p>

She sighed and opened her mouth.

"Danno, you scared Uncle Steve." she stated. Danny didn't know what to say first. One, how would she even know what that freakin' super SEAL was feeling; and two, was she _not_ scared for his well-being? He squinted in confusion, trying to figure out how he was supposed to respond to that. She helped him along.

"I told him you were strong and that you were going to be okay, but Uncle Steve kept rubbing at his face and pacing and stuff. Mommy told me he was scared." Grace explained. She smiled her sweet smile. "I knew you'd be okay." Danny raised his eyebrows, unsure of whether or not he should be worried about Grace's unshakeable faith in him. He decided that was a decision for another near-death experience.

"Well, don't get a big head, Monkey." he laughed, weakly ruffling her hair. Grace giggled as she gently swatted his hand away. The sound nearly made him want to cry. In the brick box, he would've done anything to hear her laugh again. He thought he was going to die; he didn't have the same faith as Grace. He was still trying to grapple onto the idea that he was still alive. That he would keep living until the next horrendous event.

He knew it couldn't be that far ahead.

Five-O wasn't exactly friendly in terms of keeping its team safe. He understood the risks of his career when he took his badge. Five-O just put that risk on steroids, the steroids being the one and only Steve McGarrett.

But no matter how many times Danny ranted and yelled at Steve, he could never blame the man. Steve always had his heart in the right place. Danny respected him.

"Gracie, let's go get Uncle Steve."

Rachel stood at the door, smiling at her daughter. She was trying to look casual and unworried, but she could never fool Danny. The purple brushed under her eyes confessed that she hadn't been sleeping well and stressed. Still, he wasn't about to call her out on it. It would only cause problems. He didn't need that right now.

Grace skipped out of the room with her mother, joyfully taking the mission to collect the super SEAL. The door closed, locking away the noises of people; of life. An uneasy feeling pumped through Danny's heart, running through his veins and pooling in his stomach. He didn't want to be alone. He was scared to be alone. The brick box haunted him; taunted him from his memory. He watched the door anxiously, waiting for someone to come through that door.

In the box, he wasn't sure if anyone would come. The feeling had enveloped him like cement, weighing him down, trapping him with his own fears. He breathed deeply, trying to fight away the same feeling; trying to swat away the terror and the loneliness.

He jumped when the door swung open.

Steve stopped abruptly, examining Danny carefully.

"You okay, Danny?" Steve probed, studying his partner. "I thought I saw you jump."

"It's nothing, don't worry about it." Danny replied hastily.

"Don't do that. Tell me what's up." Steve demanded, closing the door and taking a seat beside Danny.

"I'm telling you: it's nothing." Danny persisted. Of course, it wasn't nothing. He knew that and Steve knew that. Danny just convinced himself that he had an image to preserve. Some sort of image of manliness and nonchalance.

"Don't be ridiculous, Danny. You were hit by a car and cemented into a wall. You went through hours of surgery and you were out for days. You are in _the hospital_. None of this situation can result in 'nothing.' You can tell me anything. Tell me what's up." Steve ordered.

"It's nice to see you too." Danny grumbled.

"I'm glad you're awake, I really am. I'm just concerned." Steve explained. He was tired. So, so tired. Danny was first priority. Sleep was second. Steve couldn't get proper rest until he knew that Danny was okay. It wasn't that he wouldn't; it was that he couldn't. When he heard that Danny was awake, he felt relieved. But he'd forgotten that Danny would have psychological demons; emotional demons. When he saw his partner jump just as he opened the door, his heart sunk back into its sorrowful hiding place. He should've known it wasn't quite over.

Danny sighed. It was a sound mixed between sorrow and irritation. Trust Danny to find something to annoy him, even in such a situation.

"It's just that…I guess I get a little uneasy when I'm alone. When it's too quiet." he admitted, looking a little frustrated with himself. "I guess it's because I was alone in that…in that brick box. I thought a lot while I was in there." He huffed, trying hard to keep back his fidgeting. He opened his mouth to say more, but closed it again promptly. Steve waited for his partner to continue, but after a few minutes of silence figured that Danny wasn't going to say much more.

"What did you think about?" he prodded. Danny sat still for awhile, then shook his head.

"Okay, so any other day you'll shout your thoughts to me. Now that I actually want to know what's going on in that blonde head of yours, you clam up. Tell me." Steve commanded, staring at Danny with that awful super SEAL glare of determination. Danny didn't appreciate it.

"What if no one found me?" Danny mumbled, his voice barely audible.

"Speak up, Danny. You know I can't understand you when you mumble."

Danny would've glared at him, but he didn't really feel like it. Those horrid thoughts were spinning in his head, grasping onto his emotions and pulling them down into suffocating darkness.

He sighed heavily and looked up at Steve with a face of shame.

"What if no one found me?" he repeated, looking down again quickly. "I couldn't help but wonder if anyone would find me; if I would ever see Grace again. After awhile I started to believe that I wouldn't be found. Then I started to think about what I would miss."

Steve felt nauseas. Steve hadn't thought much about what it would be like to be trapped that way. To wonder if anyone would find you; to lose hope; to start counting the people you would never see again. Steve didn't think like Danny. Despite how Danny seemed to argue with people and passionately hate certain members of the human race, he was just as passionate about who he cared for. Of course Danny would think of who he loved first. He would miss them right away. Steve would think about how to escape. Everyone else came second. Steve would come out of this experience victorious: he had escaped, even though it wasn't by his own hand. Danny would come from the experience scared, tainted. He wouldn't be able to look at people the same way. He would look at Grace and wonder if he'll be there for her eighteenth birthday.

Steve was sick at the thought of Danny in the brick box.

The thought of him trapped with his own mind and passions.

"I wouldn't be there for Grace." Danny whispered. "I wouldn't be there when she needed me." He looked at his partner with broken eyes. "I was scared I'd never see her again."

Steve's guts squirmed inside him. He never wanted to see that look in Danny's eyes. It wasn't right.

He grabbed Danny by the shoulder and squeezed gently.

"Look, Danny. You're alive." Steve said, staring straight into his partner's eyes. "Right now, you're alive. Someday you may not be so lucky, I won't lie to you. But today, you're alive. Make the most of today. Make the most of every day you're alive. Then, someday, when you're taking your last breath you'll look back and know you've done all you can. There's nothing to fear, Danny. If you treat Grace like you've always have, you have nothing to worry about. Trust me: when she's going through hard times, just knowing how much you loved her and cared for her will comfort her. You'll be there when she needs you because she'll think about you and what you would say. Someday you'll be gone. It's a fact. But, today, you're alive for another day."

Danny smiled as tears collected in his eyes. He sniffled, wiping away the moisture in his eyes.

"You better not forget that." Steve said proudly, watching his partner as he hastily wiped his face.

"Way to go, Steve. You made me cry." Danny laughed weakly. "You happy now?"

"Very. Are you going to be okay?"

Danny paused for a moment, sniffling as he recollected his thoughts. He smiled as Steve's words echoed around his head. His heart still ached, but his mind had found some peace. He had gotten answers that he didn't know he needed and comfort in the thought that his partner was right beside him. Danny realized that Steve was always beside him, no matter what. He was never alone.

"I think I will be." he replied quietly. Steve looked relieved, yet partially unconvinced.

"Now, get out of here and get some sleep. You look worse than I do." Danny joked, softly punching Steve in the shoulder. His partner chuckled as he rose from his chair.

"It's good to see you awake." Steve mumbled, smiling. He turned and headed for the door, grabbing the handle firmly.

"Steve?"

He turned to look at Danny one last time.

"Thanks."

He smiled and left without a word.

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><p><strong>THE END.<strong>

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><p><em>Author's Note: I didn't really want to do the usual hospital scene with the waiting and the pacing...so if you were really looking forward to it, I'm sorry! I hope the ending was adequate! Please review and tell me what you think. Thanks for reading my story and reviewing so far. :) I really appreciate it.<em>


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